New
AcquisitionsFast and Bonnie: a History of William Fife and Son, Yachtbuilders; May Fife McCallum; John Donald, Edinburgh, 2000; ISBN 0-85976-504-0; £25; CA 15698
Fife is one of the great names in yacht building and design. Yet this is the first book to be published on the dynasty of the three generations who worked at Fairlie on the Clyde from the early nineteenth century until the start of the Second World War. The author, one of the Fife clan, is a scientist by profession so one could expect thorough research and a good marshalling of the facts. I therefore opened her book with eager anticipation but read her preface last not first.
One paragraph in it particularly caught my attention: " The story is told in a matter of fact way. The Fifes were down-to-earth practical men, and flowery descriptions have been left to the writers of articles for the yachting press." Ho, ho! This reviewer writes for the yachting press occasionally, so I see no reason to be polite. The author is so matter of fact that her style is as flat as the proverbial pancake; the text is irritatingly repetitive; the pictures by and large are a huge disappointment; and her errors indicate a limited knowledge of yachting history (it is Herreshoff not Herrschoff, British-American Cup not British-America Cup- these are not slips of the pen but are repeated throughout the book).
However, "Fast and Bonnie" does cover the ground which photographer Franco Pace's lavishly illustrated "William Fife" (Adlard Coles, £45) does not as that is not its purpose. So if you want to know about the Fife dynasty and the beautiful boats they built, grit your teeth and pay your money, but don't say you haven't been warned. - ID
Page prepared 9 October 2000
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